Niwa Nagashige, the eldest son of the loyal general Niwa Nagahide under Oda Nobunaga, entered the realm of warfare at the tender age of 12. His initial taste of battle occurred alongside his father during the confrontation against Shibata Katsuie under Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Battle of Shizugatake. In the following year, at the age of 13, Nagashige stepped into the shoes of his ailing father and led the Niwa army at the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute.
Tragedy struck at the age of 14 when Niwa Nagashige found himself thrust into the position of the head of the Niwa clan and in charge of his father's extensive 1,230,000 koku estates following Nagahide's passing. While Nagashige's father was wed to an adopted daughter of their master, Oda Nobunaga, Nagashige's union was with Ho-onin, the actual 5th daughter of Nobunaga.
The shifting tides of power and alliances brought challenges to Nagashige's legacy. Accused of treachery during the 1585 attacks on the Toyama region, Toyotomi Hideyoshi demoted Nagashige from 1,230,000 koku to a mere 150,000 koku. Further setbacks occurred two years later during the Kyushu subjugation, with Nagashige's income reduced to a meager 40,000 koku. However, his valor at the Siege of Odawara led Hideyoshi to restore his fortunes, elevating his income to 120,000 koku.
Remaining loyal to the Toyotomi clan, Nagashige aligned himself with the Western forces under Ishida Mitsunari at the Battle of Sekigahara. This alliance resulted in the loss of his daimyo status and possessions. Recognizing Nagashige's value, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted him 10,000 koku and land at Futsuto in present-day Ibaragi Prefecture in 1603. The Niwa family name was fully reinstated after Nagashige's exemplary service in the Battles of Osaka in 1614 and 1615, where he fought under Tokugawa colors. He received lands at Edosaki along with 20,000 koku, followed by an increase to 50,000 koku and the Tanakura (Fukushima) Domain in 1622. In 1627, he was transferred to Shirakawa in modern-day Fukushima Prefecture, earning 100,700 koku. During his tenure, he expanded and reconstructed Komine Castle.
Niwa Nagashige breathed his last on April 30, 1637, just shy of his 66th birthday. His final resting place is at the Enmei-ji Temple in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, a testament to his enduring legacy in Japanese history.
See also
-
Tsutsui Sadatsugu
Tsutsui Sadatsugu (June 6, 1562 – April 2, 1615) was a prominent figure in the Sengoku and early Edo periods, known as the cousin and adopted heir of Tsutsui Junkei, the feudal lord of Yamato Province. Following Junkei's death in 1584, Toyotomi Hideyoshi relocated Sadatsugu to Iga Province, where he oversaw the construction of Iga Ueno Castle, marking the height of his prominence.
-
Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
Matsudaira Kiyoyasu (September 28, 1511 – November 29, 1535) served as the 7th lord of the Matsudaira clan during Japan's tumultuous Sengoku period. Renowned as the paternal grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of Japan's "great unifiers," Kiyoyasu expanded his clan’s influence, bringing all of northern Mikawa Province under his control after subduing the Saigo clan. His power was further symbolized by the construction of Okazaki Castle, a testament to the Matsudaira’s growing dominance.
-
Matsudaira Hirotada
Matsudaira Hirotada (June 9, 1526 – April 3, 1549) was a daimyo and lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa Province during Japan’s turbulent Sengoku Period. He is best known as the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.
-
Ikeda Tsuneoki
Ikeda Tsuneoki (1536 – May 18, 1584), also known as Ikeda Nobuteru, was a prominent daimyo of the Ikeda clan and a distinguished military commander during Japan's Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He served under the influential warlords Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tsuneoki’s connection to Nobunaga began early, as his mother, Yotokuin, was Nobunaga’s wet nurse and later became a concubine to Oda Nobuhide, Nobunaga's father.
-
Oda Nobutaka
Oda Nobutaka (1558–1583) was a samurai of the Oda clan, also known as Kanbe Nobutaka after being adopted as the head of the Kanbe clan, which governed the central region of Ise Province. He was the third son of Oda Nobunaga, born to a concubine named Sakashi. Nobutaka was referred to as "San Shichi," possibly because he was born on the seventh day of the third month in the Japanese lunar calendar. However, there is a theory suggesting he was born twenty days earlier than his elder brother, Oda Nobukatsu, but due to delays in reporting and the low status of his mother’s family, he was acknowledged as Nobunaga’s third son.
-
Yamauchi Kazutoyo
Yamauchi Kazutoyo (also spelled Yamanouchi; 1545/1546? – November 1, 1605) was a prominent samurai and retainer who served Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. His father, Yamauchi Moritoyo, was a descendant of Fujiwara no Hidesato and a senior retainer of the Iwakura Oda clan, which opposed Oda Nobunaga. Moritoyo was also the lord of Kuroda Castle in Owari Province. Kazutoyo is especially renowned for his marriage to Yamauchi Chiyo, whose wisdom and resourcefulness played a key role in his rise to prominence.
-
Saito Tatsuoki
Saito Tatsuoki (6 September 1548 - 1573) was a daimyo of Mino Province during Japan's Sengoku period and the third-generation lord of the Saito clan. He was the son of Saito Yoshitatsu and grandson of Saito Dosan. His mother was a daughter of Azai Hisamasa, making him a nephew of Azai Nagamasa and a relative of Oda Nobunaga's first wife, Nohime, who was also a daughter of Saito Dosan.
-
Kyogoku Tadataka
Kyogoku Tadataka (1593–1637) was a Japanese nobleman and the head of the Kyogoku clan during the early 17th century, a pivotal time marked by the Tokugawa consolidation of power. His childhood name was Kumamaro, and he hailed from a lineage claiming descent from Emperor Uda (868–897). Tadataka was the son of Kyogoku Takatsugu and one of his concubines, with his paternal grandfather being Kyogoku Takayoshi.
